1. Field
The present invention relates generally to reciprocating internal combustion engines. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern a reciprocating engine and a cylinder balancing system that equalizes trapped equivalence ratio among power cylinders of reciprocating engines.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Large bore reciprocating internal combustion engines have long been used to provide power in various applications, such as electrical power generation, maritime power generation, and other industrial applications. For instance, large bore reciprocating engines are ubiquitous throughout the natural gas transmission industry as a source of power for large natural gas compressors. A vast number of legacy reciprocating engines have been in operation for at least 50-60 years, due in part to their reliability and the high cost of replacement.
Although functionally reliable, prior art large bore reciprocating engines used for natural gas compression suffer from various limitations. In particular, legacy reciprocating engines typically fail to meet current federal emissions regulations and operational efficiency requirements. As originally configured by manufacturers, legacy reciprocating engines generally produce an unacceptable amount of NOX emissions. Furthermore, aftermarket systems designed for legacy engines, and intended to reduce harmful emissions, fail to sufficiently improve performance. For instance, aftermarket fuel control systems are integrated into legacy engines to balance peak cylinder pressure across multiple cylinders, but generally cannot effectively reduce NOX emissions.